Writing about leadership in the times we currently live in could be very challenging, as most points about leadership are already well known. In this article I have made an attempt to write about some of the less known points about leadership.
Firstly, what is leadership? Hardest are those questions, whose answers seem to be obvious. Most people may visualize a suit-clad man, talking about something real big. At this point the question arises, ‘is leadership about wearing fancy outfits and talking big?’ Probably not! While pondering this question, I came out with three points which would explain leadership in a fair spirit.
One; Ability to decide based on your conviction rather than someone else’s opinion is one such quality. I felt like highlighting this point after reading a quote by Nelson Mandela, “Everything seems impossible until someone known to you, gets it done" The truth is that someone, who got it done didn’t share the belief which the majority imposed on him / her. What separated that person from the rest is the ability to think and act independently.
Two; Leadership is not bigger than a person. To the best of my knowledge, I don’t remember of any object or machine, known for its leadership. It has always been about people, regardless of what category of leadership you wish to consider. And it is very simple to stand out from rest by being different. Then the question is, ‘how to be different?’ Think of those mistakes which are often made and try to avoid repeating them. In a commercial world, kindness seems to be one of the biggest scarcities. Your ability to show kind gestures will automatically put you in a different league.
Three; A leader is nothing, if he/she fails to inspire his/her followers. Leading an exemplary life is easy said, than done. Being genuine, in your words as well as actions will never go unnoticed. Practice what you preach and preach what you practice. Only by this way, you will be able to carry others aboard on the same plane, you currently are flying in.
An additional point could be, avoid imitating people. I would conclude this post with a quote by the great philosopher, Jiddu Krishnamurti, “If you are very clear, if you are inwardly a light unto yourself, you will never follow anyone”
